This was the week when any semblance of political consensus on tackling coronavirus broke down.

It was Labour versus Conservative, the North versus a Tory government led by a very southern Prime

Minister. It was all getting a

bit tasty at Prime Minister's questions. I know that for someone who's been an

opportunist all his life, this is difficult, this is difficult to understand.

But having read and considered the sage advice,

I have genuinely concluded that a circuit break is in the national interest.

The whole point, Mr Speaker, is to seize this moment now to avoid the misery of another

national lockdown into which he wants to go headlong by delivering a regional solution.

Welcome to Payne's politics, your insiders guide to what's happening in British politics from the

Financial Times with me George Parker. Sorry, Sebb fans, he's away at the moment, so you're stuck with

me. This week we'll be looking at how Boris Johnson's

coronavirus strategy has yet again been tested to breaking point as Labour

opposition leader Kiestarma who you heard in the intro sparring with the

PM and leaders of Northern Cities

tour into Mr Johnson's tears his new three-tier alert system for COVID.

Joining me will be Andy Bounds, our man in the north, and Jim Picard, the lobby's leading labour expert.

And they say we'll be talking about our favourite subject, Brexit.

The end game is almost here, honest and in Brussels the gloves were coming off.

The FTS Peter Foster and the Institute for Government's Brexit Supremo, Georgina Wright, will be joining us later.

So Andy, my old mucker from our days in Brussels, and Jim, my current mucker at Westminster,

welcome along.

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